Definition
A drafting or clerical mistake in a document, as opposed to a substantive disagreement. The legal profession's way of admitting someone screwed up the typing without admitting they screwed up the thinking.
Example Usage
The court agreed to reform the contract, finding that '$10' instead of '$10,000' was an obvious scrivener's error.
Origin
From 'scrivener,' a historical term for a professional copyist or clerk
Fun Fact
Courts can reform contracts to fix scrivener's errors when there's clear evidence of the mistake, proving that even in law, spell-check failures can be forgiven.
Source: Contract law and drafting terminology
Related Terms
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